Carton loading device



Aug. 5, 1952 J. F. CURRIVAN CARTON LOADING DEVICE Filed April 19, 1949 v I/ I 4 Sheets-Sheet l nwmron John F Curr/van Attorneys A g- 1952 J. F. CURRIVAN CARTON LOADING DEVICE 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed April 19, 1949 //VVEN7'0R John F Curr/van k/M vfi A liar/lays N A w R R u c F i CARTON LOADING DEVICE 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed April 19, 1949 nn. a

//v mm 1-0;? John F Curr/val? Attorneys Fatented Aug. 5,

CARTON LOADING DEVICE John F. Currivan, Dayton, Ohio, assignor, by

mesne assignments, to Emhart Manufacturing Company, a corporation of Delaware Application April 19, 1949, Serial No. 88,329

3 Claims. 1

This invention relates to improvements in cartoning machines, and in particular to the mechanism for transferring articles from the loading conveyor to the cartons.

Numerous types of cartoning machines comprise a first conveyor or transport which moves a series of open ended cartons along a rectilinear path paralleling a second or loading conveyor thatcarries articles to be inserted into the cartons; As a carton and an article approach the loading station where the transfer is eifected, devices of various types have been used to accomplish the transfer. In some machines the two conveyors are momentarily stopped at the loading station to permit the transfer to be made. Reciprocating pushers are generally used for this purpose. In other types of machines the conveyors are not stopped, and the pushersmay be carried by chains or the like, which move through paths such that the pushers thereon are able to accomplish their purpose. In the machine shown and described in the copending application of A. H. Ross, Serial No. 731,395, filed February 27, 1947, for Cartoning Machine, the loading conveyor has receptacles thereon, each receptacle having a reciprocable pusher or plunger thereon, which during the movement of the loading conveyor, engages a stationary cam track to cause it to slide inthe receptacle and transfer the article to the carton on the adjacent transport.

In accordance with the instant invention no pushers or plungers are needed in the receptacles,

although they may be retained, as will become apparent. The articles are transferred at the loading station by a simple rotating device which carries a series of pushers that move in a circular path while engaging the articles sequentially to transfer them to the cartons while both conveyors continue their movement at a constant uninterrupted rate. A planetary gear arrangement connected to the pushers assures that the same fiat side of the pushers always act against the articles that are being transferred to the cartons.

It is accordingly a primary object of the invention to provide a new and improved apparatus for transferring articles from receptacles on one conveyor to those on another conveyor while the conveyors are moving in the same direction at the same rate of speed.

It is another important object of the invention to provide a novel device to eject an article of merchandise from a continuously moving loading conveyor into the open end of a carton moving continuously in a path parallel to the loading conveyor, the device comprising means rotating in a circular path in timed relation with the con veyor.

Another object is the provision of an improved cartoning machine including a carton conveyor, a loading conveyor, and power driven transfer means operable to transfer articles from the loading to the carton conveyor with a combined wiping and pushing action.

Other objects will appear as the description proceeds in connection with the accompanying drawings, wherein:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of an illustrative embodiment of'the invention.

Figure 2 is a top plan view of a portion of the mechanism shown in Figure 1.

Figure 3 is a front elevation of the mechanism of Figure 2.

Figure 4 is a side elevation, partly in section, of Figure 2, as viewed from the right thereof.

Figure 5 is a bottom' plan view of a portion of the mechanism, substantially as viewed along the line 55 of Figure 4.

Figure 6 is a vertical sectional view substantially along the line 66 of Figure 2;

Figure 7 is a vertical sectionalview'substantially along the line l'! of Figure 5.

Figure 8 is a vertical sectional view substantially along the line 8-8 of Figure 4.

Figure 9 is. a vertical sectional view substantially along the line 9-,-9 cf' Figure 3.

Figure 10 is a partial sectional "view substantially along the line l0l0 of Figure 3.

Referring to Figure 1 a transport or conveyor of the type disclosed in application Serial N 0'. 731,395 filed February 27, 1947, by Alexander H. Ross for C'artoning Machine'is indicated generally at I I. As far as theinstant' invention is concerned, the only function of the conveyor I I is to carry equally spaced open ended cartons or the'like 'at a uniform speed past the loading station where articles such as the bottles [2 are pushed into the open ends of the cartons 13 as they move from right to left in Figure 1. During their movement each of the cartons is pushed by a pair of transversely spaced trailing fingers l4 and [5. Only one trailing finger I5 is shown in Figure 1 because the'others are obscured. behind the overarm it which carries a hold-downbar I! that confines the squared cartons againstthe jtable plates 18 of the transport. Each carton is confined against its pair of trailing fingers by a leading finger contacting its forward wall,'these leading fingers not a pearing .in Figurel since they are beneath the hold down'bar ll, substantially mid-point between each pair of trailing fingers and IE, but forward thereof, so that each carton is confined between a leading finger and a pair of trailing fingers. The fingers are attached to endless chains beneath the table plates 18, the chains being driven at any selected speed by an electric motor that drives the whole machine, and which is controlled by adjustment of a speed control knob l9 (Figure 1).

Arranged alongside the transport 'or conveyor II is a loading conveyor designated generally in Figure 1 by the reference number 22. For illustrative purposes this is also shown to be of the type shown in the aforesaid application Serial No. 731,395. A pair of endless chains, only one of which is shown at 23 in Figure 1, are mounted on rotating shafts at the ends of aframehaving a side wall 24. One of the shafts is-shown alt-26- (Figure 9) as well as the sprocket 21 thereon, which drives the chain 23, the sprocket 21 also serving to direct the chain around the end of the frame top wall 25 for its idle run thereunder. The two chains carry a series of dovetail slides 28 (Figure 1) arranged transversely of the chains and equally spaced therealong. Each slide carries an open topped trough shaped receptacle or bucket 29 which is open at the end facing the transport or conveyor l I, The spacing of the receptacles is such that each is'direotly abreast of a carton I3 on the conveyor l I, and the inside of the rear or trailing wall 32 of. each receptacle is coplanar in a vertical plane with the inside of the trailing wall of a carton. The floors 33 of the receptacles 29 are sloped downwardly-toward the trailing walls 32 so that articles of merchandise which are to be insertedinto the cartons, such as the cylindrical bottles l2 will, under the force of gravity, rest against the trailing walls 32 and thereby lie in the correct position for insertion into the cartons.

The normal position. of the receptacles. 23 is such that their left ends are substantially directly over the left ends of thedovetail slides 28. However, as the loading conveyor 22 moves from right to left in Figure 1, at the same speed as the transport H, stationary cam means, not shown, move the receptacles towards the transport ll until they are closely adjacent the open ends of their respective cartons. In Figure 1 two of the receptacles are shown in thisposition, and since the bottles l2 are loaded into the cartons while the receptacles are in this relative position, it may be appropriately called a loading station. After the bottle has been loaded into a carton at the loading station another stationary cam, not shown, successively moves the receptacles back to their initial positions. In Figure l the receptacle identified by the reference number 34 has passed the loading station and has commenced its movement back to its initial position, which it reaches before the bucket passes around the sprockets on the shaft 26. It is to be understood that during this movement of the receptacles toward and away from the transport ll they continue to travel from right to left, in Figure 1, at the same speed as the transport I l and the cartons carried thereby.

Instead of the sliding plungers within the receptacles, and the stationary cam devices shown in the aforesaid application Serial No. 731,395 for ejecting the bottles from the receptacles and loading them into the cartons, the means now to be described are arranged to perform this function.

Referring to Figure 1, a triangular mounting plate 35 is supported by means to be described, for rotation about a vertical axis and in a horizontal plane above the tops of the receptacles 29 of the loading conveyor. Vertical cylindrical sleeves 36, 3! and 33 are mounted in each of the three apexes of the plate 35 for rotation about vertical axes, and pusher bars 4|, 42 and 43 respectively, are attached to these sleeves adjacent their bottoms, to lie in the same horizontal plane just above the tops of the receptacles or buckets 29. As shown in Figures 1, 2 and 3 the pusher bars are of considerable length,and they are all in such position that their longitudinal dimension parallels the direction of movement of the transport 1 l and the loading conveyor 22. They thus all have working faces that face toward the open ends of the cartons l3 on the transport.

As the triangular plate 35 is rotated at a speed correlated wlththat of the conveyors, a planetary drive system, which will be described, causes the pusher bars to be always parallel to the direction of movement of the conveyors. The lengths of the equal sides of the triangular mounting plate 35 aresuch, and its speed ofrotation is such, that as it rotates, each of the pusher bars 43 will eject one of the bottles from its respective receptacle and push it into its carton. In order to do so, the articles, such as the bottles l2 must project above the side walls of the receptaclesby a sufiicient distance that they will lie in the paths of the pusher bars. When a pusher bar has inserted a'bottle into its respective carton it is at the end of its stroke furthermost away from the axis of rotation of the mounting plate 35. The details of construction of the structure for supporting and operating the pusher bars ll-43 are as follows.

A right angled bracket having a horizontal leg 44 is secured to the sidewall 24 of the loading conveyor frame by apair of bolts 45 and 46 which pass through vertical slots 41 and 48 in the vertical leg 49 of the bracket, the slots permittingvertical adjustment of the bracket. The bracket is stiffened by side web members 52 and 53. Adjacent its free end the horizontal leg 44 has a cylindrical boss 54 (Figure 6), and a vertical shaft 55-has a press fit in a bore through the leg at that point, the shaft being fixed against rotation by a tapered pin 56 passing throughthe boss and the shaft. A cylindrical housing 51 is secured to the under side of the leg 44, and concentric to the shaft 55, by four screws58 that pass through the bracket and are threaded into a flange 59 on thehousing.

Within the central bore 62- of the housingare received the outer races of a pair of ball bearing assemblies 63 and 64, the inner races of which havea press fit on a cylindrical sleeve 65 that has an annular flange 66 to separate the bearing assemblies. The bearing assemblies and the sleeve 65 mounted therein are retained in the housing by a retainer ring- 61 that is secured to the bottom of the housing as by screws 68, the ring engaging the outer race of the lower bearing assembly 64. The sleeve 65 being journalled for rotation by the bearing assemblies 63 and 64 there is a clearance between thesleeve and the shaft 55 except for the lower portion of the sleeve where a bearing bushing 39in the sleeve journals the lower portion of the sleeve. upon-the shaft.

A spacing washer 12 on the. sleeve 65' separates a planetary drive sprocket 13 from the lower bearing assembly 64, the sprocket 13 being rigidly secured to, the top center of 'the triangular mounting plate 35. as by. screws 14. A retainer ring is secured to the bottom center of the triangular mounting plate. 35 as by screws 16, and rests upon the upper race of a thrust bearing assembly I1. The lower race of the thrust bearing assemblyll rests upon the hub of a planetary sun gear sprocket I8 which is secured to the bottom end portion of the shaft 55 by.a through tapered pin 39. Thus the sun. gear sprocket I8 supports the weight of the triangular mounting plate 35 and its associated parts including the sprocket I3, which are. connected for rotation with thesleeve 65 by a key 82 between the sleeve 65 and the sprocket I3 with the triangular mounting plate 35 connected thereto. A sprocket chain83 trained. over the sprocket I3 drives the triangular mounting plate 35 at the desired speed, being driven by a sprocket 84 (Figure 1) .on a vertical shaft 85 in a manner to be described.

The details by which the pusher bars II-43 are mounted on the triangular mounting plate 35 are shown in Figure 6. At each of the three vertices of the mounting plate a bearing assembly v86 is mounted in a counter-bore in the under side of the mounting plate, the outer race of the bearing assembly being clamped between a shoulder 31 in the counter-bore and a retaining washer 88 secured to the mounting plate; as by screws 89. The cylindrical sleeve 36 has a press fit at its upper end in the inner race of the bearing assembly, there being a shoulder 93 on the sleeve to locate it vertically. A bolt 9I passing through the bore of the sleeve and having a head 96 clamps the sleeve securely to the inner race, between the shoulder 90 and a nut 92, there being a washer 93 between the nut and the bearing inner race. The sleeve 36 is thus mounted for free rotation about its vertical axis, but a chain sprocket 94 is secured to the sleeve 36 by a set screw 95, and as will be described, a chain 91 passing around sprocket 94 and around the fixed sun gear sprocket I8, in the manner shown in Figure 5, assures that there will actually be no rotation of the sleeve 36 even though it is rotated about the fixed shaft 55 by the rotating triangular mounting plate 35.

As best shown in Figures 5 and 6, the pusher bar II is rigidly secured perpendicularly to a supporting bar 98 having a longitudinal slot 99. The bottom of the sleeve 36 has a pair of diametrically opposed flat surfaces I02 (Figure 6) over which the slot 99 fits, the supporting bar being securely clamped to the bottom of the sleeve 36 in any longitudinal position by the head -96 of the bolt HI. The other pusher bars 42 and 53 are secured totheir sleeves3l and 38 in the same manner.

Referring to Figures 5 and 7, a substantially U-shaped plate I03 is adjustably secured to the bottom ofthe triangular mounting plate 35 by a pair of cap screws I64 and I05 which pass through parallel slots I56 and It! in the plate. At the ends of its legs the plate has a pair of shouldered screws I08 and I69 upon which are journalled for rotation a pair of idler sprockets H2 and H3. These idler sprockets lie in the same horizontal plane as the sun gear sprocket I8 and the sprockets 94, I I4 and H5 on the sleeves 35, 31 and 38 respectively, the chain 91 being trained .over these sprockets as shown in Figure 5. The sizes of the sprockets I8, 94, H4 and II 5 are such that asthe. mounting plate 35 rotates about its axisthe workingfaces of the pusher bars 4|, .42 and 43 will always be parallel to the transport or conveyor 1 I. as shown in Figure 1.

t will be apparent-that these pusher bars will push the bottles I2 out of the receptacles or buckets 29 and into the cartons I3 by a combined pushing and wiping action against the bottoms of the bottles. In Figure 2 the pusher bar M is shown in dotedash linesat' 4-Ia,'in which position it .will be, when it has inserted the bottle 12 fully into the carton I3. ,With continued rotation of plate'35. thepusher. bar. moves away from the carton; As described in theaforesaid application Serial No. 731,395, the transport or conveyor for the cartons is powered by an electric motor which also powers the drive shaft 26 (Figure 9) of the loadingconveyor 22.- At I9 in Figure 1 is shown the speed control knob for the electric motor. Figure 9 shows'details of the mechanism for rotating the vertical shaft from which the triangular mountingplate '35 is driven in timed relationship with the movement of the loading conveyor. :j Y

The outboard end: of the shaft. 26 protrudes through, the-frame side wall 24 where it is journalled by a bearing II6, and the projecting end has a bevel gear I ll secured thereto by a tapered pin II8. A retainer II9'for the bearing, H6 is recessed on its outer face to provide a seat securing alignment with the shaft 26 of a gear housing I22. A bearing housing ring I23 passes through a vertical bore in the housing I22 and is secured to thehousing as by screws I24. Apair of ball bearing assemblies I25 and I26 are mounted in the bearing housing ring, the outer race of the lower bearing I26 resting upon an internal flange I 21' in the ring I23 and the outer race ,of the upper bearing being engaged by a retainer ring I28 which is secured to the top of the housing ring I23. A vertical shaft I29 is journalled by the bearing assemblies I25 and I26, the shaft having an annular shoulder I32 which locates it axially "and also separates the bearing inner races. Secured to the lower end of the shaft I29 by a screw I33 and a key I 34 is a bevel gear I35 which meshes with the gear II! on shaft I26.

The shaft 85, which carries the sprocket 84, is mounted in axial alignment above shaft I29 by a bearing assembly I36 suitably mounted in a horizontalplate I31 secured as by screws I38 to the upper end of a vertical plate I 39 that is affixed to the frame side wall 24 by screws I42 (Figure 3). V I

, At its upper end the shaft carries a sprocket hub I43 which issecured by a. tapered pin I44. The sprocket 84 is rotatably mounted upon the top of the hub I43, being located by a peripheral recess I45 on the hub. This permits angular adjustment of the sprocket upon the hub to permit timingof the rotary movement of the triangular mounting plate 35, as will be understood. A pair of screws I46 passing through slots I41 (Figure 2) .inthe. sprocket 84 and threaded into thehub I43, are tightened to secure the sprocket inadjusted position.

At its lower end the shaft 85 has a clutch plate I48 secured to it bya tapered pin I49. As shown in Figure 9, the upper end of shaft I29 protrudes into the bore of the clutch plate I48, but the fit is such as to permit free relative rotation. A second, opposing clutch plate I52 is mounted with a sliding fit upon the shaft I29 and is resiliently urged upwardly by a compression spring I53. The loweror hub portion of the clutch plate I52 has a diametrical slot I54 therethrough, and the projecting ends of a pin I55, passing throughthe shaft I29, are received in the slot I54, whereupon rotation-of shaft'I29 is transmitted to the clutch'plate I52 irrespective ofthe axial displacement of the clutch plate from its normal position. As best shown in Figures 10 and 3, the upper face of the clutch plate I52 has a pair of V notches I56 and I51 similarly disposed on opposite sides of its axis. The bottom face of the upper clutch plate I48 has an identical pair of notches I58 and I59 (Figure 3). Short cylindrical members I62 and I63 are mounted in the recesses I56 and I51 in the lower clutch plate, being fixed therein by screws I64 and I65 (Figure respectively. In normal operating position the tops of thecylindrical members are seated in the notches I58 and I59 in the upper clutch plate, being resiliently urged thereinto by the force of the spring I53. The construction provides an overload clutch assembly which permits disengagement of the drive to the triangular mounting plate 35 if a jam should occur in the loading of the bottles intothe cartons, and also provides for simultaneously cutting off the power supply to motor drive" for the entire machine, in the following manner.

A cut off switch I66"(Figures 1 and 9)' is mounted on the vertical plate I39 below the lower clutch plate I52, the switch being connected in the power supply conduit I61 leading to the drive motor. Protruding upward from the top of the switch housing is a vertically movable plunger I68 that is spring held in its upward position by mechanism within the switch, and the circuit to the motor is closed when the plunger is in its upward position. The plunger is disposed beneath the lower clutch plate I52. If a jam should occur the clutch plate I52 will be cammed downwardly by the action of the cylindrical members I62 and I63 in the V notches in the upper clutch plate. As the lower clutch plate moves downwardly it strikes the plunger I68, depressing it and thus cutting off the power supply to the entire machine.

In order to eliminate slack in the return run of the chain 83- an idler sprocket I69 (Figure 2) engages the chain. The idler sprocket iscarried on a bracket I10 adjustably secured to the underside of angle bracket leg 44 by screws- I II passing through a slot I12- inthe-bracket I10.

The construction thus provides a simplified apparatus for ejecting the articles from the loading conveyor receptacles and pushing them into the cartons. The reciprocating plungers, which had to protrude fromthe receptacles when pushing the article's fully into the cartons, are eliminated, thus greatly reducing the cost ofeach receptacle assembly. With the instant construction the pusher. bars can project any desired amount beyond the open ends of the receptacles, since-they are adjustably secured upon their supporting sleeves. While the illustrated embodiment shows three such pusher bars 4| etc. it will be apparent that the number. willdepend upon several variables, such as the. size and spacing between the open cartons. on the transport. The action of the pusher bars is. smooth and continuous, and there are no reciprocating elements. Due to the planetary drive, the faces of the pusher bars always act in the direction inwhich the articles are to be moved, yet the supporting and driving arrangement for the pusher bars is simpleand inexpensive. Although the illustrated machine shows articles being transferred from receptacles into longitudinally aligned cartons, itwill be understood that articles can also be transferred from one endless belt to another since the working facesof the rotating pusher bars are alwaysparallel to the direction of movement of the conveyors, and hence will push articles directly perpendicular to the direction of conveyor movement.

The invention may be embodied in other specific forms without departing from the spirit or essential characteristics thereof. The present embodiment is therefore to be considered in all respects as illustrative and not restrictive, the scope of the invention being indicated by the appended claims rather than by the foregoing description, and all charges which come within the meaning and range of equivalency of the claims are therefore intended to be embraced therein.

What is claimed and desired to be secured by United States Letters Patent is:

1. In a cartoning machine, a first conveyor operable to convey a series of cartons along a fixed path; a second conveyor having a portion operable to follow a second path parallel to said ffixed path, said second conveyor having a series of receptacles spaced therealong and mounted for transverse reciprocation thereon for juxtaposition alongside the cartons caried by said first conveyor, means for reciprocating said receptacles from a normal position on said second conveyor spaced from said first conveyor to a position in substantial juxtaposition with said cartons; a pusher element supporting means mounted adjacent said second conveyor for rotation in a plane parallel to said second conveyor; at least one pusher element attached to said supporting means and extending toward said receptacles for engagement with articles carried by said receptacles, said pusher element bein operable in one revolution of said supporting means to transfer an article from a receptacle to a carton on said first conveyor; and driving means operable to rotate said supporting means and drive said conveyors in timed relationship.

2. In a cartoning machine, a first conveyor operable to convey a series of cartons along a fixed path, means for feeding a series of articles to a position adjacent said conveyor, means for transfering said articles from said feeding means to said cartons, means for driving said transfer means and said first conveyor in timed relationship, a source of power connected to said driving means, an over-load device normally coupling said transfer means with said driving means but operable to decouple said transfer means and said driving means in the event of an excess load being placed on said transfer means.

3. In a machine set forth in claim 2, means actuated by decoupling of said overload device to render said power source inoperative.

JOHN F. CURRIVAN.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 262,478 Richardson Aug. 8, 1882 604,417 Richardson May 24, 1898 1,341,487 Warme et'al May 25, 1920 2,133,248 Jones Oct. 11, 1938 2,432,823 Sedwick Dec. 16, 1947 2,440,866 Malhiot May 4, 1948 2,517,616 Weygant et al Aug. 8, 1950 

